


Just Another White Lie

by Leriana



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucketloads of Fluff, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Might need to see a dentist after reading this, Wedding Fluff, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 00:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7383784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leriana/pseuds/Leriana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami’s business partner, Varrick, is getting married and everybody is expecting her to bring her longtime girlfriend. There’s just one problem: she doesn’t have one. But she does have a Korra.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Another White Lie

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to Mr. Hudson's song "White Lies" and this little idea popped into my head. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it <3

 

Korra is eating in her favorite diner and studying a binder full of new routines she can use during her karate classes next week, when Asami slides into the booth seat across from her.

“Hey Korra, you look nice today, but then again you always look nice,” Asami greets sweetly— _too_ sweetly—in a tone that Korra has discovered means she probably has a big favor to ask.

Korra glances up and hears alarm bells go off in her head.  “Uh, thanks. So do you,” she says cautiously.

“You’re welcome. Any big plans next month?”

Korra tilts her head as those alarm bells grow deafeningly high. _ABORT!_ Her mind screams. _ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!_ “Why?” she deadpans, raising an eyebrow.

Asami bats her distractingly green eyes, gives Korra her best puppy dog look, and Korra takes a deep breath—wills herself to be strong. “Well, you see,” Asami starts, “Varrick has invited my dad and I to his wedding next month and I kind of, _may have_ , told my dad that I have a girlfriend. So now they’re all expecting me to bring her.”

It sounds straight out of a cheap romantic comedy and Korra has to bite her lip to keep from laughing. This is definitely the best joke Asami’s told in a while. “And let me guess, you want me to be your fake girlfriend,” she supplements.

Asami grins, says, “Yes,” and the patrons in the diner along with the teeny bop music drifting through the speakers all melts into background, leaving just her and Asami.

Korra’s not easily surprised.

Really.

She’s not.

Today, however, is definitely an exception.

Korra bumped into Asami ten years ago during her second year of college. Literally. _She bumped into her_. Asami was carrying iced coffee and Korra was rushing to the school’s new LGBT club meeting. The second they collided, Asami’s iced coffee spilled all over her white blouse, coating the poor woman in icky cold goo. Korra apologized profusely, gave her money for two cups, and then dashed off to the meeting. Twenty minutes into the meeting, to Korra’s absolute horror, Asami swaggered into the room with a black shirt, winked at her, then greeted the club and introduced herself as the cofounder.

Oddly enough, they’ve been inseparable ever since.

They even embarked on a romantic relationship that, after a few months, they both decided didn’t work. Now, years later, Korra would like to think she knows Asami better than she knows herself.

  1. Asami doesn’t lie.



So why the hell she would tell people, especially someone she’s close to like her dad, she has a girlfriend, Korra doesn’t know.

  1. Asami is fiercely independent.



Her independence is something Korra’s always admired about her. Having a significant other has never been that high on her list. She’s always been too focused on being a boss ass engineer and businesswoman to worry about those little things.

  1. Asami doesn’t have romantic feelings for her.



They’re best friends and, like a bad memory Korra desperately wants to forget, they’ve tried the dating scene years ago—it didn’t work for them. They’ve moved forward, dated other people since that near catastrophe. Shoot, they’ve even set each other up with other people, though those setups have always fallen through. So, again, why the hell Asami would want to do something like this, Korra doesn’t know.

Nothing adds up and it leaves her reeling like an impossibly hard to solve math equation.

“Wait.” Korra pauses and looks around, waiting for someone to jump out and yell, “You’ve been punk’d!” because that would be the only reasonable explanation for this. “You’re serious? You want me to be your fake girlfriend?”

Asami nods. “Yes, I—”

Korra doesn’t give her a chance to finish. “What the hell, Asami? You don’t lie! Why the hell would you tell people you have a girlfriend?”

“Because—”

“And me?” Korra cuts in again, eyes wide and wild and her eyebrows steadily crawling up her forehead. “You want _me_ , of all people, to be your fake girlfriend? Do you _really_ think anybody is going to buy that we’re a couple? Me and you? Don’t even get me started on your father. He hates me, you know. Okay, okay, so maybe he doesn’t _hate me_ , per se, but he strongly dislikes me. That I’m sure of. Oh my god, this is such a bad idea.”

It’s a bad idea all around. A terrible, horrible, no good, _very bad_ idea.

“You done?” Asami asks, looking somewhat cross. “Can I talk now?”

Korra’s tempted to say no, just to grate on Asami’s nerves a little more and hopefully snap some sense into her, but she seriously has nothing else to say so she throws her hands up. “Yes. Please do. Explain this to me. _Enlighten_ me.”

Asami presses her lips together. She has a nice, full pouty mouth and Korra really wants to—

Nothing.

Korra really wants to do nothing.

“Ever since my mom died, dad’s been on my back about…” Asami rolls her eyes and plays with a water puddle on the table. “Well, everything—you know how he is. He’s always so concerned about my love life and I’m just – I’m _tired_ of it, Korra. I’m so tired of his questions, comments, and concerns, so I lied. And… no.” She rubs her temples. “No it’s not the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but I need your help and I’ll pay for everything during this trip. All you have you to do is come.”

An awkward silence follows. Asami won’t meet Korra’s eyes and Korra taps her fingers against the table. “Why me?” Korra asks eventually, frowning.

Asami meets her eyes with raised eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“You’re gorgeous, Asami.” Asami flushes and ducks her head, and Korra will never understand how someone as achingly beautiful as her doesn’t know it.  But maybe that’s why she’s so beautiful, she doesn’t know it. “I’m pretty sure you could get almost anybody in the world to be your fake girlfriend. Why me?”

A laugh trickles out of Asami’s mouth, like that’s the most ridiculous question she’s ever been asked. “You’re my best friend, Korra.” She reaches across the table to hold Korra’s hand. “Honestly, there’s no one I’d trust more than you to help me get through this wedding.  I can’t force you, though, and if you really don’t want to, I respect that.”

“Okay,” Korra says, sighing.

Asami leans forward, her eyes pleading. “Okay? You’ll be my girlfriend or…?”

Against her better judgement, Korra nods. “Yeah.” She swallows dryly. “I’ll be your… girlfriend.”

Asami beams and squeezes her hand which, for some weird reason, feels very nice. Nicer than usual. Korra shakes it off. “Thank you, Korra.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Korra mumbles. “You so owe me big time for this.”

* * *

The following day Korra sits in her parent’s kitchen, talking about her predicament like a drunken regret. When she’s done talking, her mom shuts her computer, looking distraught. “I thought you two were already a couple?”

“Thought who was already a couple?” her dad asks around a mouthful of chips as he enters the kitchen.

“Korra and Asami.”

He frowns and drags his eyes from his wife to his daughter. “You two broke up?” he asks grievously.

“Oh my god,” Korra mumbles.

“Get this, dear, they broke up five years ago!” her mother exclaims. “Can you believe that?”

“What? No way!”

Korra groans and buries her face in her hands.

* * *

There are plenty of things Korra enjoys doing.

Packing is not one of those things.

In fact, she’d rather stab herself in the eye—and suffer no major injury—than pack.

Unfortunately, it can’t be avoided with the trip a mere week away, and Asami seems to think Korra needs help packing (which she does, but she’ll never admit it out loud) so she comes over to Korra’s apartment after a business meeting one evening to assist.

“I booked our hotel room last night,” Asami says as she rummages through Korra’s closet, pulling essentials down and grimacing at others.

Korra sits on top of her bed and tries (fails) not to stare at Asami’s ass in her way-too-tight skirt. “Cool.”

Asami glances over her shoulder and offers a small smirk that makes Korra heart thump loudly in her chest. “Stop staring at my ass, Korra.”

Korra’s back stiffens, her face burning bright red. She thinks about defending herself, but decides to go a different route instead. “Hey, what can I say?” She shrugs and lightly slaps Asami’s ass. Her best friend squeals, shocked, the smirk sliding off her face. “You have a nice ass.”

Asami flushes.  “Uh, so." She clears her throat and turns back to the closet. “Like I was saying, the hotel…”

Korra smiles triumphantly and falls back on her bed, hands folded behind her head.

* * *

Korra stares at the airplane on the tarmac. The Republic Airlines flight is taking off in thirty minutes and she’s actually going to be on it. Next to Asami. Because apparently she’s lost her fucking mind.

What has she gotten herself into?

What was she _thinking_ when she agreed to this nonsense?

Wait, she wasn’t thinking.

_That’s the problem._

Asami had convinced her, had disarmed her mental capabilities and left her weak and agreeing to everything like an idiot. Asami and her stupid green eyes, and stupid pouty lips, and stupid nice smile, and stupid—

“Hey,” Asami yawns.

Korra blinks and glances over at Asami. She’s just waking up, her hair in a disheveled ponytail, and she’s wearing sweatpants and crooked glasses and there’s dried drool on her cheek and for some dumb reason, it makes Korra smile warmly.

“Hey, you got a little—” Korra gestures to her cheek and Asami stares back, confused.

“What?” She rubs her eyes.

Korra rolls her eyes fondly and spits on her thumb and scrubs Asami’s cheek clean.

“Ew! Korra!” Asami whines sleepily, crinkling her nose and grimacing, but she’s smiling, and there are beautiful flecks of gold in her green eyes that Korra’s never noticed before and—

She has a crush on her best friend.

Her heart drops.           

Shit.

She has a crush on Asami, her best friend, her fake girlfriend.

Shit.

_Shit, shit, shit._

_Dammit, dammit, dammit._

“Hey,” Asami says softly, grabbing Korra’s attention. “You okay?”

Her green-with-flecks-of-gold eyes are crinkled at the corner and filled with concern, and her full lips are turned down and—fuck it, Korra thinks before leaning in and kissing her. The angle’s awkward. They bump noses, and Asami’s lips are dry, but it’s still the best kiss Korra’s ever had.

“What was that for?” Asami asks against her mouth.

Korra blushes. “We need to practice our kissing for Varrick’s wedding.”

Asami hums throatily. “Practice makes perfect,” she says, eyes lidded and dark, and captures Korra’s lips, resuming what her best friend started.

* * *

The wedding’s over but Korra’s still nervous, more nervous than she thought she’d be. They’re fake girlfriends at a real wedding reception, where people are celebrating real love, and everything feels backwards, everything feels wrong. All she can do is hold Asami’s hand underneath the white clothed table and hope nobody sees through their façade.  

“Do you want something to drink, babe?” Asami asks easily, like she’s been calling Korra ‘babe’ her whole life.

Korra wets her dry lips and blinks back tears because this is all an act. “Yeah.” She clears her throat. “Yes, that’d be nice, actually. Thanks.”

Asami kisses her cheek and whispers, “Be right back.”

She’s gone for two seconds before Hiroshi Sato approaches—a dark, ominous shadow falling over Korra and announcing his presence. Korra stands up, hands folded neatly in front of her, and bows. “Mr. Sato, it’s good to see you.”

Hiroshi doesn’t say anything. He stares at her for several seconds, gaze blank and unreadable, then he pulls her into a tight hug. Korra freezes in his arms because this feels an awful lot like death, but then he says, “Treat my daughter well, Korra,” and Korra can feel his tears dampening her neck and—yeah.

She feels like shit.

She feels like shit because Asami doesn’t deserve this fakery. Asami deserves love, real love.

Korra hugs him back. “I will, sir.”

“I know you will.”

* * *

“Hey, I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Asami says as she walks into the bathroom.

Korra places her hands on the sink counter and takes a deep breath. “I can’t do this, Asami.”

Asami’s by her side in seconds, rubbing her back with furrowed eyebrows. “What’s wrong? Did something hap—?”

Korra kisses her, stopping her question with her lips. Asami lets out a surprised gasp but quickly melts into it. Asami’s lips are warm and smooth and their noses aren’t bumping and it’s wonderful. Asami pulls her closer, runs her hands along her curves, heats up every inch of exposed skin she touches. They part, breathlessly, Korra’s arm wrapped snuggly around Asami’s waist, and Asami’s hand cupping Korra’s flushed cheek.

“I don’t wanna be your fake girlfriend,” Korra mumbles, not trusting herself to speak any louder. She swallows down her fear. “I want to be your real girlfriend. Are you okay with tha—”

Asami grins, her head jerking in a nod. “Yes. Yes. I’d like that.” Her eyes flash from Korra’s eyes to her mouth. “I’d like that a lot.”

Korra brings Asami’s face back in for another kiss.

* * *

There are many things Korra knows about Asami—

  1. Asami rarely lies.
  2. Asami is fiercely independent.
  3. Asami loves her.



—and Korra can’t wait to learn more.


End file.
